Buste van vrouw met opgestoken haar

About this artwork

verzamelaarsmerk, verso, gestempeld: Lugt 240

Art Historical Context

**Buste van vrouw met opgest haar** is a delicate etching by Dutch artist Frans Decker (c. 1694–1751), during the early 18th century when printmaking flourished in the Netherlands. Measuring just 82 mm high by 68 mm wide, this intimate bust portrait captures a woman with her hair elegantly pinned up, reflecting the refined hairstyles popular among European bourgeoisie at the time. Decker, known for his precise reproductive prints and portraits, contributed to the legacy of Dutch engraving traditions that extended the Golden Age's emphasis on technical mastery and realism. Etching, Decker's chosen medium, involves coating a metal plate with acid-resistant ground, scratching lines into it, and allowing acid to etch the grooves for inking and printing. This technique allowed for intricate details in the woman's features, lace, and hair texture, making the small work a testament to the era's innovations in miniature portraiture—ideal for collectors' albums or personal cabinets of curiosity. On the verso, a stamped collector's mark (Lugt 240) signifies prestigious provenance, linking the piece to historic connoisseurs. Such marks, cataloged by Frits Lugt, underscore the artwork's enduring value in art historical circles, highlighting how 18th-century prints bridged fine art and the burgeoning market for affordable, reproducible masterpieces.

About the Artist

Frans Decker · 1684–1751

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